Apple’s Wednesday, September 9th event is shaping up to be one of the largest in the company’s history. The Cupertino-based company is planning to unveil several major new products on stage, including a pair of new iPhones with revamped internals, a sequel to the Apple TV, a larger version of the iPad Air, a refreshed iPad mini, and new Apple Watch accessories. The company is also likely to discuss at least two of its latest software platforms: iOS 9 and watchOS 2. We’ve reported the lion’s share of what is to come at next week’s event, so this article outlines everything we’re expecting and adds some new details…

iPad Air 2

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

Design, 7000 Series + Rose Gold:

In line with past “S-upgrades” to iPhone hardware, this year’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will retain the same designs as their predecessors, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. There will, however, be a slight increase in thickness on the two phones, but this shouldn’t be noticeable to the human eye nor affect compatibility with most protective cases on the market.

While the design and shape of the phones will remain, the devices will actually be made out of an improved alloy known as 7000 series aluminum. Apple first debuted the metal with the Apple Watch Sport last fall, and the company explains the benefits on its official website:

For Apple Watch, we created a new alloy of 7000 Series aluminum that’s 60 percent stronger than standard alloys. Yet it’s very light. Together with the Ion-X glass covering the display, it makes the Sport collection watches up to 30 percent lighter than our stainless steel models. It’s also exceptionally pure, with a beautifully consistent appearance that’s difficult to achieve with traditional aluminum alloys.

Besides the new casing structure, Apple will differentiate the new device with a new color option: Rose Gold. Some reports have called this new color pink, but our sources continue to stress that the color is “definitely Rose Gold in both name and appearance.” The shades of space gray, white/silver, and gold that Apple currently offers for the 6 line will make their way to the 6s portfolio.

Cameras + 4K Video:

This year’s iPhone upgrade will focus a lot on the cameras. Both the front-facing FaceTime camera and rear-facing iSight sensor are due for significant upgrades. On the front will be a much larger sensor that will record 1080p video and could have up to 5 megapixels of still resolution, based on reports from analysts. This would be a major transition from the current 1.2 megapixel sensor on the current line of iPhones. As Apple always notes, hardware is only one part of the story: the new front-facing camera will see improved software integration with a few new features:

Support for selfie panoramas

Support for slow-motion video

Support for higher-resolution front facing video recording

A software-based flash feature for lighting up the display when you take a picture in low-light environments

On the rear will be a 12-megapixel shooter that is capable of recording video in ultra-high resolution 4K quality. With the iPhones starting at fairly low capacities (more on that below), the inclusion of 4K video recording could pose a challenge for some users. We believe that Apple could be preparing an upgraded version of its iCloud storage backend in order to allow users to take and upload 4K video rather than storing the entire clip offline to their devices. Given storage limitations, it is likely that 4K will be a switch rather than a default recording option.

Force Touch Screen:

In addition to upgraded cameras, another major user-facing feature of the iPhone 6S line will be a Force Touch-based display. Sources say that Force Touch on the iPhone is only akin to the MacBook and Apple Watch in name, as the functionality is much more advanced. With that in mind, sources say Apple will likely call the Force Touch technology on the new iPhones by another name. Force Touch allows the iPhone 6s version of iOS 9 to sense different levels of pressure. According to sources, the new phones will be able to determine the difference between a tap, a standard press, and a deep press, adding a third level of sensitivity over the Apple Watch screen and MacBook trackpad.

While Force Touch on the Apple Watch is used to load additional overlay menus over the small 38mm and 42mm casings, and while the MacBook’s trackpad can sense a Force Click, the screen on the iPhones will be primarily used as a shortcut and navigational tool. Here are some examples from our earlier report on Force Touch coming to the new iPhones:

New to the Force Touch experience, a user can look up a point of interest in the Maps application, and then Force Touch on the destination to immediately begin turn-by-turn directions. Currently, if a user wants to start navigating to a destination, she must search for the point of interest, click the navigation logo on the map view, then click another button to actually start navigating. In this case, the Force Touch gesture will skip two steps.

In the Music application, a user can Force Touch on a listed track to be presented with some of the most commonly used actions. For instance, if a user deep presses on the listing for a song, a menu will appear to quickly add the song to a playlist or save it for offline listening. This Force Touch gesture would act as a substitute for clicking the actions button on the right side of each track listing in the Music app.

Another feature in testing, according to one source, are shortcuts that appear after Force Touching an app icon on the Home screen. For example, if a user deep presses on the Phone app icon, he could choose to shortcut directly to the Voicemail tab. This could also apply to deep pressing the News app icon and being taken directly to either the Favorites or For You tabs.

Some of the Force Touch gestures will come from Apple’s latest MacBooks. For instance, a user can Force Touch a link in Safari to see a preview of that webpage. The gesture also works for deep pressing on an address or contact name to see a preview of a map view or contact card, respectively. Similarly, a user can Force Touch a word to look up its definition.

We also explained the three primary interfaces for Force Touch:

No additional user interface as with the subtle integration on the new MacBooks

A user interface that appears surrounding the finger where the Force Touch gesture is conducted

A shortcut list toward the bottom of the display akin to a typical options list across iOS.

As with the Apple Watch, Force Touch on the iPhones will be tied to a haptic feedback engine to provide physical feedback to an iPhone user. We are told the consistency of the feedback is “nice.” As this will be touching your finger rather than wrist, it may feel more reliable than on an Apple Watch as well.

Unsurprisingly, the new iPhones will have an updated, “far snappier” chip known as the A9 processor. Also in the cards: 2GB of RAM like with the iPad Air 2. More RAM will mean the ability to run more apps and web pages in the background without sacrificing speed.

Motion Wallpapers:

Another new addition to the iPhones is the presence of motion wallpapers on the lock screen. Like the Motion watch face on the Apple Watch, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users will be able to customize their new lock screen with animated clips of either bursting paint in many colors of koi fish. We’re told that the new wallpapers look “great,” despite not being lit up by an OLED display.

NFC + Cellular Chips

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will both feature new NFC chips that likely add a secure element processor, reducing the need for a separate chip. Apple, of course, uses the NFC chip for its Apple Pay mobile payments solution, so a more secure offering is certainly something that will be welcomed by users.

Both new iPhone models will also feature significantly improved cellular data performance. The devices will be capable of delivering up to twice the theoretical LTE download speeds thanks to the new Qualcomm chip. The chip is much more power efficient, as well, according to Qualcomm. Improved power efficiency will lend itself to improving the overall battery life of the iPhone.

Despite the larger file sizes required by 12-megapixel photos and 4K video, the new iPhones will again start off at 16 GB of storage. In fact, the prices and capacities of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be identical to the launch offerings of last year’s models. Here’s our breakdown of what to expect from the iPhone lineup on the afternoon of September 9th.

Apple TV

Design and Ports:

The Apple TV upgrade in 2010 brought a smaller, black puck-like design and that look has been retained with both the 2012 and 2013 refreshes to the device. We’re told that the same aesthetic will continue with the new Apple TV. The new box is said to appear very similar to the current look but will be noticeably thicker, most likely in order to accommodate additional 802.11ac wireless components. The ports on the rear of the device, ranging from power to micro-USB to optical audio to Ethernet, will remain.

The hardware will still be made from metal, but the casing will be black in color to match the set-top-box

Larger, tactile buttons to activate Siri and go to the Apple TV’s home screen

A standard rocker switch for controlling the Apple TV’s volume output

A built-in microphone for Siri voice input

Accelerometers for motion control for some parts of the operating system and games

Replaceable batteries without the need to charge the controller.

In addition to the new bundled remote, the new Apple TV will support third-party Bluetooth controllers for gaming. Apple first brought support for controllers in iOS for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch a couple of years ago, but these accessories have not gained popularity. With a gaming focus on the Apple TV, perhaps these third-party offerings will improve in both functionality and usage.

On the software side, one of the most anticipated features of the new device is system-wide, universal search based on iOS 9’s new Proactive Spotlight Search technology. Currently, Apple TV users have to search for content app-by-app. With this new Apple TV, there will be a single search field that can look for content across applications. Here is how we explained it in our previous roundup of what to expect from the new Apple TV:

Speaking of search, it sounds like one of the reasons behind making the new Apple TV software directly based on iOS 9 is for its new Proactive search support. In iOS 9, Proactive search brings new, more powerful and accurate system-wide search support. As Jeremy Horwitz also noted in March, one of the biggest omissions from the current Apple TV is system-wide search support. For example, a user cannot search for “James Bond” and see results across the iTunes Store, Netflix, the Crackle app, and the Apple Music library. Apple is said to be planning to fix that with the next-generation Apple TV software, but we are told that the company may wait to integrate the new search features until the Apple TV is populated with third-party applications.

Thanks to the Apple TV now running an iOS 9 core, it is likely that the search functionality will be able to work across apps from the Apple TV App Store. Of course, this will require developers to ensure search compatibility with their apps, but Apple’s apps should work with the universal search feature out of the box. As the Apple TV is an Internet streaming-based device, the search will work beyond content stored/cached for offline playback.

Siri + Interface:

While the internal hardware and functionality of the Apple TV will see a revamp, we believe that the new operating system’s design will more closely match a fresh coat of paint. In terms of features, Siri will be the main navigational tool for the new Apple TV. A source has told us that most of the operating system will be controlled by Siri and that the voice assistant will be pegged as the premier feature of the new Apple TV. Thanks to the microphone in the new physical remote, it will be much easier to search for content using the voice-based Siri system. For example, users will likely be able to search for a James Bond movie by saying “Search for Goldfinger,” or begin playback of an Apple Music playlist by saying “Play my Party Mix.”

The redesigned interface will be more similar to that of iOS. The overall interface will be similar to that of the current scrolling list of large icons, but with a refreshed and more modern look akin to iOS 9. The new Apple TV will also feature an App Store. Third-party applications support plus a full Software Development Kit for the Apple TV will be two tentpoles of the new device. This means that developers will be able to build apps for Apple TV just like they would the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Pricing, Capacities + October Launch:

The new Apple TV will cost more than the current $69 model, starting at $149, according to trusted sources. The current cheaper version will stick around, however, and gain the future cable replacement service. We’re told that Apple has developed a pair of capacities for the new Apple TV: 8GB and 16GB. If Apple does indeed launch both capacities, the $149 model will include 8GB of storage and the 16GB option will cost $199. If Apple chooses to launch solely the $149 model, they’ll up the memory to the full 16GB. This would double the current 8GB of storage available for media caching in the current Apple TV. However, the new model is capable of playing games and storing apps, so Apple will likely push for users to keep more space free.

iPad Pro

Design and Name:

The long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad has been referred to as the iPad Pro in many claims, and sources have now confirmed that iPad Pro will be the actual marketing name of the device. Codenamed J99 and J98 internally, the new models will feature a larger, 2732 x 2048 display that is encased in a thin bezel similar to the designs of both the iPad mini and iPad Air. Said a source, “it literally looks like a big iPad.” The device will have a similar aluminum back with curved edges, a FaceTime camera on the front, and an iSight camera on the rear. We can’t imagine why people would casually use a camera on a nearly-13-inch tablet, but perhaps it will be useful for App Store apps, video recording in professional settings, and for FaceTime.

Force Touch + Stylus:

Sources confirm that the iPad Pro will include a Force Touch based screen, similar to the one on the new iPhones, in addition to a stylus accessory. We’re told that the stylus, which will be bundled with the iPad Pro in box, will “not look like a traditional” one. The stylus will open up the door to enhanced drawing and design apps on the new iPad, and the integration with the Force Touch screen will allow the stylus and the iPad Pro to work differently based on the levels of pressure applied by the stylus to the iPad’s display. Additionally styluses will be sold separately.

Cases and Keyboard Accessories:

We are told that the iPad Pro will gain the usual suite of iPad accessories from Apple: Smart Covers and Smart Cases in the normal array of both colors and materials (polyurethane and leather). These will likely be priced a little bit higher than their smaller counterparts for the iPad mini and iPad Air due to the additional materials. We’re also told that the iPad Pro has been designed with wider support for Bluetooth keyboard, and it appears that Apple is also preparing a keyboard accessory of its own.

Speakers and Ports:

As can be seen in our schematics above, the iPad Pro will make use of its larger space to house stereo-style speakers: two on the top and a pair on the bottom. The top will feature a headphone jack as well, while the bottom will have a standard Lightning connector. The side will include the standard volume rocker panel. There have been rumors of additional USB-C ports on this device, but perhaps those were added in a revision to the device and are not shown in our few-month-old render above. Nonetheless, in the age of wireless networking, additional ports are likely unnecessary. After all, even the OS X-based MacBook is a single port machine.

iOS 9.1:

The iPad Pro will ship alongside iOS 9.1, the first milestone upgrade to iOS 9. The new OS is expected to include special improvements for the larger display, such as optimized versions of Split-Screen apps, Picture-in-Picture video playback, Notification Center, and Siri. Apple has also been working on a new multi-user mode for a future version of the iPad operating system, but it is unclear if that addition is ready to go for the iPad Pro this fall.

iPad Mini 4

Design:

Last year the iPad mini was left behind in the update cycle in comparison to the upgraded and thinner iPad Air 2, as it solely gained the Touch ID sensor and in-app Apple Pay from the iPhone. This year, we expect the iPad mini 4 to come with a thinner design that matches the thickness of the iPad Air 2. It will likely be lighter as well thanks to the thinner aluminum casing.

New Cameras and Chips:

The current iPad mini includes last-generation FaceTime and iSight cameras, so it is likely that the HD quality of the front sensor will be upgraded while the rear camera will move from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels in order to match the latest iPod touch and iPad Air 2. Moving closer to the latest iPhones and the iPad Air 2, it is likely that the new Mini will either incorporate an A8 chip or A9 chip. The current iPad mini includes an A7 processor, which first debuted all the way back in 2013.

In terms of software, Apple has been finishing up work on the Apple Watch’s first significant software update: watchOS 2.0. The new version of watchOS includes a new Nightstand Mode for timekeeping and managing alarms, the ability to run apps natively on the Watch for increased speed and access to hardware sensors, an Activation Lock for deterring theft, a trio of new watch faces, support for third-party watch face complications, and new options for the Digital Touch messaging service. Apple will likely announce a launch date for the new OS next week as well.

I’m going off topic now, but the 3GS was only slightly less powerful than the 4. Sure the iPhone 4 had double the ram but they used the same GPU and the same CPU (only the CPU on the 4 was clocked about 200 MHz higher or about 30% faster and was in a unified design “the A4” on the iPhone 4).

And the 4 had to push 4x the pixels the 3GS did. This is why the 3GS performed better in many cases on later updates than the 4, especially with games (similar power, but 4x less pixels to push).

I agree that, unless the 6s has a new type of display that benefits a moving background against a black backdrop (like OLED…which the article states is *not* the case), such backgrounds should not be exclusive to the 6s.

Animated wallpapers are a cute novelty for a few minutes, but they end up being a distraction and a battery drain. If you want to see some great animated wallpapers you can get an old Samsung Galaxy 3. But I hope that’s not what Apple is about.

Seems counter-intuitive and a break from tradition, to announce iPads at the late summer iPhone event. I’d stick with past examples and expect iPads in their own event in October, possibly with more news about Apple TV at that time.

Agreed. iPad pro is definitely a wild card for apple so I expect that it needs its event of its own.

Also, mark gurman said that there will be additional October event for 21.5 inch 4k imac and el capitan etc. But don’t you think that only mac event is bit of too small? It will be perfect to have ipad pro and mac event in a same October event.

He never said there would be an October event to announce the iMacs. He just said that Apple has planned to have that iMac for sale in October / November. Apple could easily announce it through a press release.

Apple will want developers to have more time to design apps for the iPad Pro and Apple TV. There will be q fall event for new Macs and release the iPad Pro’s and Apple TV. Will also highlight iOS 9.1 and OS X.

To me the wildcard is iPad mini being launched next week. The mini has had weird update cycle so far so who know, but an October release makes more sense to me.

I so much wanted to comment on parts of the article, but since WordPress doesn’t allow partial quoting I’ll refrain myself from the tedious task of CmdC/V every bit. I think 9to5 could really do with a different system. Perhaps vBulletin or something (just not Huddler; that’s even worse than WP)

“The Cupertino-based company is planning to unveil several major new products on stage” Really? I don’t recall Apple revealing ahead of any Keynote what they are launching. I always seems the list of things launched is always far smaller than the list bloggers and tech journalist WANT to see launched. Same old same old.

Actually, if you were a frequent browser of 9to5mac you would probably know that Mark Gurman is not just some “tech journalist”. His sources are extremely credible and 90% of the time are completely correct. Mark Gurman is one of Time’s 30 to watch under 30 because of this.

I really don’t see how an Apple journalist like Mark Gurman can continue to inaccurately call the A5 chip “single-core”. The A5 is clearly a dual-core chip, which it has been since it was released in the iPad 2, and then included in the iPhone 4S. I’ve seen two articles by you just this last claiming the A5 is single-core, what exactly are you referring to? Take a look at Ben Lovejoy’s excellent articles Mark, shape up and get your facts straight.

That’s because the A5 in the current generation Apple TV is based on a revised A5 SoC using a single-core design. But you’re right about the A5 in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, those are dual-core A5’s.

rashmosh - 2 years ago

How curious, I had no idea about this. Why would the Apple TV A5 SoC be intentionally reduced to a single-core architecture, when the Apple TV paradoxally potentially supports far greater performance than iPhones and iPads, due to the TV’s constant power-supply?

Many CHIP manufacturers create several Producto for a single chip, ant the QA testing stamps final SKU depending on results
-Dual core CPUs that don’t handle well overclocking get lower SKU
-If one core does not work well, it is disabled and sold as single core
etc….

The theory at the time was that Apple was using the A5 chips where one of the cores had failed. A percent of all chips produced will have cores that don’t function. This was a good use of resources as they were able to repurpose these chips for the Apple TV rather than having to discard or recycle them. With the current design and use of the Apple TV multiple cores is really not necessary. It basically only does one thing at a time.

Jeremy Horwitz - 2 years ago

Also, don’t feel any need to apologize for being so completely obnoxious above, despite being utterly wrong.

Yeah, and it would be great if they didn’t have Iovine or any of these rappers either. They can’t give a presentation worth beans. Craig is by far one of the best. Phil is OK, but he’s got to get those warts removed.

Shamer Mulji: Phill Schiller is out of breath after his first sentence on stage. This guy is great, but he should seriously consider consulting (hopefuly, he’s already doing so) because he may very well be collapsing from an heart attack on stage during one of these keynotes. And I would be very sorry about that.

Agreed. Although, I think Schiller is being phased out. He was supposed to retire twice, but was asked to stay on. I think he’s officially set to retire in 2016. Regardless, I like Phil’s logical approach to things. It works perfectly when presenting hardware.

Probably not a good upgrade, especially with subsidies going away. Unless you’re rich why would you drop $700 for an (s) upgrade that will give you a little faster processor and a little better camera.

They already released new iPods. Their Mac lineups still has time before another update. iOS 9 already announced. An event of only iPhone and Apple TV? It would be short. Hard to see them not announcing iPads.

At first since the phones are a little thicker the camera was supposed to be flush, but now back to protruding because the sapphire lens are supposed to go because they have failed tests. So protruding camera with some type of glass lens cover.

Nicely put, congratulations. OLED is great but it has too much contrast making picture unnatural. This can be tweaked by software though, but on such small sized screens this makes that LCD are much cheaper for a result that is so close that you wont notice. It also drains your battery faster because each pixels is lit individualy. OLED makes a real difference on large screen TV set where contrast and black level are paramount, because there is no battery to kill, and because you’ll be looking at it continuously for a couple of hours or so, which is unlikely for your iPad or iPhone. But this is f…ng rightly said anyway…

Apple doesn’t use the version of OLED that Samsung and other copycat makers use because OLED at the mobile level has inaccurate color, poor brightness, and poor white levels. About the only think OLED is good for with mobile phones is a good black, but is that really noticeable on a tiny mobile screen. Apple has a patent for a new type of OLED that has accurate color and you will find it on the coming displays in the future — the technology and manufacturing is being completed. So, if you want shit, keep talking shit, if you want quality, look to Apple.

I would be willing to wager that these new S series iPhones will have the ability to always be listening for “Hey Siri” without any, or very little, penalty to battery life. The “Hey Siri” feature is currently available on the 6 (maybe it is ios8 in general) but has been lackluster due to the power source requirement. I imagine that the Apple TV will have the same capability and there will be handoff functionality similar to the current iPad/Mac/iPhone capabilities. Ex: Hey Siri, play Top Gun. Apple TV plays it on your TV and if you turn your TV off, then you are given the ability to handoff to your iPad/iPhone, etc.

A stylus??? Wasn’t Steve Jobs himself who stood on stage and said”Who needs a stylus”? WTF is apple doing going backwards? Answer Yes. Now I do own Apple products and enjoy them but come on. All of this is refresh hype, nothing new, nothing exciting here. Oh and I do have apple tv and all I use it for is to airplay Plex. I was hoping for Plex to be in the app store for the new box but at 149 bucks why bother. I can accomplish the same thing with Roku 3 for a cheaper price.

Apple is loosing in the game. They always use to be innovators but have been super duds recently. They need to invent not reinvent.

That was related to the iPhone, which makes sense – a stylus is a cumbersome and clumsy on a handheld device.

However on a tablet sized device, its not bad. The Surface Pro 3 is exceptional with the stylus, and I would love to see Apple implement something similar – something excellent for writing notes and drawing diagrams.

No 4K is a massive massive mistake. Having watched 4K content on my 4K monitor (via my 2015 13″ MacBook Pro Retina), there is NO going back. Even upscaled 1080P looks stunning. Not to mention the dynamic range. If this is Apple trying to get people to switch Apple TV’s every year or so, rather than keep it for 5 to 10 years, then that’s shameful. Plus, 8K is going to come sooner than people think, so they need to be ready for people’s perception of what is quality.

I won’t deny: I’ve seen some 4K video, and it is GORGEOUS. But I don’t think the average consumer is ready to adopt/adapt to 4K just yet. Most people don’t have 4K TVs just yet, and most content providers are still lacking a compelling library of 4K content. I know Netflix in particular is working to rectify the latter, but there are bigger issues to handle first: namely bandwidth and infrastructure. While I don’t think it would hurt Apple to have included 4K support on the Apple TV, they’re probably weighing the cost of supporting that content (and subsequently providing it via iTunes) versus the number of people who will use it in the next 3-5 years (when I assume they will have yet another revamp of the Apple TV).

4K is coming, no doubt. It’s just not here quite yet.

modeyabsolom - 2 years ago

What you’re saying is all very short term. Apple should of future proofed ATV4 by letting it process 4K/UHD. I myself have seen 4K and it makes 1080p seem blurry and obsolete! And many UHD TVs are now in the affordable range. I reckon in about a year or so UHD will be outselling 1080p TVs.

There are channels on cable and satellite that have not made the switch to HD yet. They’re still broadcasting in the crappy standard definition and here we are about 15 years into HD. We have about 20 years until 4K is fully adopted.

The HD content on satellite is marred by compression. Many shows and movies are so badly compressed at 1080p they would look better at 480 from a DVD. Until broadcasters are able to stream data faster there is no point in broadcasting very highly compressed 4K that looks horrible.

I think the best bet will be high speed internet which is just starting to roll out and may take a few years. By the time most people have access to high quality 4K, the next AppleTV will be out, and they will be able to take advantage of any advances in CODECs.

UHD is using a new compression standard (h265 if I’m correct) that seems to be able to deliver 4K at a bandwith that is more than 2K, granted, but not 4 times as much (as there are 4 times more pixels in 4K than in 2K which has 4 times more pixels than SD) but only a fraction more than 2K. This makes it will be possible to have a 4K movie on a BluRay disk without increasing BluRay disks existing capacity. BTW multi-channel lossless audio is taking quite a chunk of said bandwith. And 4K streaming at a fraction more bandwidth than current 2K streaming.
More important is the upscaler. A good upscaler, like the one in my BluRay player, will make even an SD DVD or broadcast look great on a 2K TV, and so it seems, even on a 4K TV (specialized A.V. press says). But a good upscaler comes at a price, and perhaps, at 149$ it simply is not possible to have one that will upscale any content to 4K decently. And that maybe is why Apple, saddly, wont support 4K on the new Apple TV: money. It probably would need at least a couple of 100 box more to get a really good upscaler. And one that is just so-so would not be acceptable.

I don’t think Apple will announce the iPad Pro at this event. If I recall correctly, Apple usually has TWO events: one in September, one in October. The former is usually their iPhone event, while the latter is generally their iPad event. Announce all the new iPads next month, and leave this event for iPhone and Apple TV.

Apple is positioning for Samsung to crush them. Smartthings (with Amazon Echo) will overtake HomeKit in 2016. 4K streaming on Samsung Smart TVs will overtake any hopes for AppleTV. AppleTV was novel when TVs were dumb. But today, they are SMART, fast, powerful, and CHEAP.

I agree with you when it comes to Apple’s HomeKit initiative, it seems to heading nowhere, probably because its proprietary to only Apple and is currently too difficult for OEMs to implement. I fear the same failed destiny for it as Airplay.

The iPad Pro seems to be my ideal for a tablet. But I fear Apple is introducing this just as a reaction to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 for the Enterprise market. As recently Apple has been losing a lot of ground in that market to both Microsoft and Android based tablets. Also a little disappointed by the ATV4. It should incorporate an A9/A9X rather than an A8, 4K/UHD and a hell of a lot more than a meagre 16GB of Flash! Also I’d wish they’d gone for a classier higher quality metal design (like the original Apple TV) rather than just a bigger fatter version of the current cheap and ugly looking plastic puck, which is itself an embarrassment to Apple’s famed industrial design.

Apple’s iPad is not loosing to the Microsoft Surface, where did you read that? The tablet market is loosing in general and cheap chinese ones are loosing less or even doing better. Yet the surface is not in the cheap arena at all. If you include the keyboard and sufficient memory/power it’s more like it’s competing with the MacBook Air of even the MacBook Retina, and that is exactly how MS is advertising it. Saying that Apple would introduce a larger iPad as a response to the Surface is just plain… sorry… you understood me.
A larger iPad will be a tablet in its own definition, running iOS and it will remain different from a MacBook Air, MacBook Retina, or for that matter, a Surface, which is an hybrid and that’s its problem: nobody understands what it is. Is it a tablet? is it a notebook? It’s not the best of both, it is, like all hybrid, the minimal common denominator of both. Like a couch that converts into a sleeping bed. It’s neither a good couch or a good sleeping bed. It’s practical on occasions, but for most case, it just isn’t doing the job.

“The 9.7-inch iPad Air with the A8X chip will already support those iOS 9 features when they receive the Software Update this fall.” The iPad Air has an A7 processor and will not support the iOS 9 SplitView multitasking feature.

Everything the 6 has in a 4S body is my ideal iPhone to. I like the size of the 6’s screen but the design is plain horrible, and what about this madness about anorexic thickness? The 4S looked and fell solid in the hand, indestructible; I knew I had it on me while I always have to check for my 6, and I was never affraid that it would ply in my pocket. I never needed a case for my 4S, while I must have one for my 6 to hide it’s uglyness and to be sure it wont inadvertently slip from my hand being to light and to round around the edges. I kept my 4S just for the pleasure to look at it and feel it in my hand. This was a masterpiece of a design.

Apple will release a 4.7″ phone next year comparable to size of the iPhone 5 and 5s. Will loose top and bottom bezel and loose home button. Will put Touch ID in Apple logo or built into the screen. It’s why now 6c this year.

I’ve seen a couple of notes here and elsewhere (cannot recall) that the new iPhone casing will be the same design but ever-so slightly thicker. I have not read why that is. Is it just the 7000 series aluminum or maybe the force touch / haptic engine, or maybe a minimally larger battery? Do we have any theories or rumors as to why that might be?

I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one (ha ha). Although, in an equally whimsical sense, Mark does provide a kind of useful marketing for Apple and I suppose that is worth something. Maybe his name will get hinted by Phil in another ad hoc podcast with Gruber after the event. Rumors at the last minute are a part of the fun surrounding these events and generate a lot of focus and interest on the part of loyal customers. I was just curious because, if true, it seemed like an odd addition to the rumor list given Apple’s history of thinning.

Why, why, why does Apple insist on pairing the colors of white/gold & white/rose gold? WTH! It would look so much better if either golds were paired with black or if standard gold was paired with a ruby red color. I have been hanging onto my iPhone 4 because of this white on gold nastiness. Maybe I should start calling the iPhone colors racist? Seems to instill change for anything else so tagged!